


Matt Murdock: Cat Savior

by kaleidomusings



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cats, F/M, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:58:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4091371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Matt ends up in Claire's emergency room, and one time he drops by her home. (Which may or may not somehow involve cats.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Matt Murdock: Cat Savior

Claire hates cats. 

She's hated them ever since she got scratched by one when she was a little girl, although it probably doesn't help that she's deathly allergic to the mangy things, and is just more of a dog person anyway. But when a friend from work asked her to feed her cat while she was out of town, caring for her sick brother, Claire wasn't heartless enough to say no. After all, Claire had always prided herself on being a good friend, even if that meant being in the same room with the little monster, who made Claire's nose run nonstop and forced her to munch on allergy pills like they were candy for nearly three weeks. So why anyone would risk their life for a creature like that is an absolute mystery to her. 

Especially a _blind man_ , who ran into a burning building to save an old lady and her cat when the rescuers were taking too long to get there. 

"Either you're very brave or a complete idiot," Claire tells him, looking over the damage of his stupidly heroic deed. She helps the man remove his shirt and tries not to stare inappropriately at his impressive physique, surprised how fit he is for a blind guy. Which is very, if she's being perfectly honest.

The man -Matthew Murdock, it says on his file- laughs and winces when she prods at his burned shoulder. "Mrs. Cardenas doesn't have any other family," he explains. "She loves that cat like her own child and refused to leave without it."

Although her heart goes out for Mrs. Cardenas -because she understands the need for companionship when there's no one else- she still thinks a dog would have been a better choice. 

"And your shoulder?" Claire asks, as she starts cleaning the wound and bandaging it up.

"The fire was getting out of control and trapped them inside," Matthew says, "I had to break the door down." 

Claire briefly wonders how he knew they needed help and where to find them, but brushes the thought aside. Mrs. Cardenas probably called for help through the window. 

"Still not sure if I should be impressed or worried about your sense of self preservation. Or lack of," she says. 

Matthew's mouth tilts upward in amusement. When she finishes up her work and helps him pull his shirt back on, he lays as a gentle hand on her arm and says, "Thank you, Claire," just as Detective Hoffman storms in, wanting to ask him questions about the incident. 

After giving him some stern instructions on how to take care of the dressing, Claire packs up her things and leaves, figuring that'll be the last she sees of Matthew Murdock, cat savior. 

\--

It turns out she's wrong. 

"Tell me again how you got all those scratches?" Claire asks, resisting the urge to hold her nose because she's a professional at all times, even if Matthew does smell like he crawled out of the trash. But it's an excuse to see him without his shirt again, so it's kind of worth it.

He smiles, like he can tell what she's thinking even though he can't see her face. "There was a stray kitten trapped in a dumpster and I dug it out," he says. 

"Seems like you didn't do a very good job of it," Claire says and immediately gets to work. His arms are covered in long shallow scratches (probably from the kitten), but she's more concerned about the vicious gash on his chest. Fortunately, he had the sense to hold a compress to it before heading to the hospital, but when she helps peel it away, she decides this man must be insane. It's the only reasonable explanation as to why he would risk infection and disease just to save a kitten. 

Matthew inclines his head in her direction, as if he can actually see her as she cleans up his injuries. "Yeah, I guess it's not my most shining moment," he says. He sucks in a sharp breath when she gets to the one on his chest, but otherwise doesn't move as she starts stitching it up. 

"You're going to need a tetanus shot too," Claire tells him, because lockjaw is the last thing this guy needs after his good but extremely misguided deed. "So what happened to the cat?"

Matthew shrugs, his head tilted toward somewhere over her shoulder. "It ran away."

After a moment of silence, Claire finds herself asking, "Are you a cat person or something?" 

He turns to look her face, or where he's probably assuming her face is. "I take it you're not?"

"I'm allergic," she says, which she thinks is more than answer enough. She's pretty sure that she would still hate cats even if she wasn't, though. "Besides, why have a pet when I can spend my time patching up blind guys who rescue old ladies and small cats?"

Matthew chokes on a laugh and Claire grins, pleased with herself, because he has a nice laugh. And if he wasn't her patient, she might have asked him out for coffee or something. 

"That's not all I do, you know," he says.

"So what do you do?" she asks, just to humor him.

"I'm a lawyer," he says, and that actually surprises her a little. For someone who acts so recklessly, she never expected him to have such a straight laced job, although maybe she should have. He does seem like the self righteous type. 

"Well then, Mr. Murdock," she says, tying off the end of his stitches and clipping off the excess. "Let's get you that shot and you can go back to being a big shot lawyer. Just be sure to avoid dumpsters for a while."

His hand briefly brushes hers when she hands him his shirt. "No promises."

\--

"Foggy, I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Matt. You just got _hit by a car_."

Claire clears her throat to announce her presence before entering the room. Matthew and his friend glances up at her, both dressed in suits, so Claire assumes Foggy must be another lawyer. A partner, maybe. 

"Let me guess," she says by way of greeting, "There was a cat crossing the street and you saved it."

"Hi," Matthew says warmly. As if getting hit by a car was no big deal. "And, yeah, you got it in one."

His friend stammers a hello and introduces himself as Foggy Nelson, Matthew's associate. He seems shocked by Claire and keeps looking from her to Matthew before making some sort of excuse and fleeing the room. Weird.

"Is your friend always shy around women?" she asks, confused.

Matthew shrugs. "He probably thought I was making things up when I told him about you."

Claire bites back a smile, because that's almost kind of sweet. "You've been telling all your friends about me?"

Matthew glances away, like he's embarrassed. "And if I did?" 

Claire shakes her head and decides to leave it for another time. She's a professional, after all, and she really shouldn't be flirting with a patient. Even a really cute one. "And what seems to be the problem this time, Mr. Murdock?"

Matthew sighs a little, but lets her change the subject. "A car grazed me," he admits. 

He lets her take a look and -sure enough- there's a large bruise, all along his side. She feels for anything broken or out of place and can't find anything, but suggests that he gets an x-ray done anyway. But it seems like what he really needs is rest to heal and keeping away from those damn cats. 

"I know you want to be a hero, but you need to take better care of yourself too," she says sternly. 

Matthew smiles. "I'll try. Thank you, Claire."

\--

"You're welcome to call me Matt, if you like," he says the next time he comes in with bloody knuckles and a sprained wrist.

Apparently, Matt had been at a bar with his friends, when Karen -his secretary- was harassed by some drunk asshole who wouldn't take no for an answer. So Matt decided it would be a brilliant idea to punch him in the face. Repeatedly, if the state of his hands are anything to go by. 

Claire rolls her eyes while she wraps up his hands. "I thought you were going to take better care of yourself, _Matt_." 

Matt shrugs and reaches out his hand to cup her elbow, keeping her arm elevated while she works. "I never promised that," he points out.

"No, I suppose you didn't," she says, sighing. She's had to deal with her share of difficult patients, but Matt seems to be making his way to the top of the list. "Honestly, I'm surprised there wasn't a cat involved this time."

"I was thinking of adopting, actually," he says with a completely straight face.

Claire gapes at him, horrified by the mere thought of it, and then glares. "That's going too far, even as a joke."

His bottom lip trembles as he fights to keep from smiling, and Claire decides it's a good thing he's cute or she'd punch him herself. "I'm sorry," he manages to choke out, his shoulders shaking. 

"No you're not," Claire says, frowning. 

Matt bursts out laughing then, looking boyish and stupidly handsome. "No, I'm not."

\--

"Aren't you supposed to be a lawyer?" Claire demands. 

Matt blinks, blood running down the side of his face. His glasses, broken and useless, sit in his lap. "I am a lawyer."

"No," she says. "Lawyers are supposed to be smart. And what you just did? Was not smart. _At all_." 

"I couldn't just stand by and watch while a boy was kidnapped right in front of me," Matt says. He lifts his hand to wipe at the blood, but Claire bats it away. Thankfully it's not too serious, but she doesn't want him to make things worse for himself because _of course he would_.

"I'm not telling you to just let it happen," Claire says, gentling her tone. She starts cleaning up his cut, and his only sign of discomfort is his hand curling into a fist. "But next time call the police and let them handle it, instead of throwing yourself into harm's way. I'm worried about you, Matt." 

She's worried that one day he's going to get himself really hurt, or worse.

He lowers his gaze, looking like a chastised school boy. "I'm sorry."

"Don't get me wrong," she says while applying a bandage to the cut. "I'm all for the good Samaritan thing that you have going on, but you don't have to be a hero all the time. Your job is to help people through the legal system, you should stick to that. You can also keep reminding me how much I really hate cats on a regular basis if it'll keep yourself from getting yourself killed."

Matt is quiet for a moment, before glancing up in her direction. "Hey, Claire?"

"Yeah?" 

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

\--

Despite not having been on a date in a long time, Claire is pretty sure that the person involved isn't supposed to drop by with a _knife wound_. 

"I should leave you out here to bleed," Claire says, even as she steps aside to let Matt in. 

"Sorry," he says, more amused than repentant. But then he grimaces, clutching at his bloody shoulder, and Claire wonders what she must have done in a past life to deserve this. 

Grabbing her medical bag from the other room, she sets out her supplies out on the kitchen table. "So what was it this time?" she asks, already resigned to the fact that she's not going to like what she hears.

"A mugger, robbing some tourists," Matt admits, carefully shrugging off his jacket. And that's when she notices the lump under his shirt. 

"What is _that_?" 

"Oh," Matt says and suddenly turns a startling shade of red. She's never seen anyone blush like that before. "I thought that-… Well, this is for you."

He pulls a stuffed toy kitten from out of his shirt, which he hands to her. Claire accepts more out of surprise than anything and blinks down at the toy, rubbing her thumb over its soft cheek, feeling weirdly touched. "Um. You shouldn't have?"

Matt laughs, leaning forward to place his hand over hers. "I thought it was fitting."

Claire carefully sets the toy on the table, so it'll face them both while she works, and snaps on a pair of medical gloves. "I still hate cats," she says sternly, feeling something in her chest flutter when he smiles back at her fondly. 

"To be honest, I prefer dogs myself." 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure what happened. I started writing this story with the intention that Matt was still doing his nightly vigilant activities, but he ended being a well-meaning but problematic random do-gooder instead. Also I had a lot of fun making Claire's dislike for cats a sort of inside joke between her and Matt. I just wish I could have had the opportunity to include more of the other characters. And there are probably massive amounts of inaccuracies about medical procedures in this story, but I wanted to get the idea out while I still have the opportunity, so I hope you can overlook them. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it and please feel free to leave kudos and comments!


End file.
